Frank m



(No Model.)

F. M. LA BOITEA'UX. DEVICE FOR DEMAGNETIZING WATCHES.

No. 507,912. Patentd Oct. 31,1893.

UNi'rEn STATES PATENT Curios.

FRANK M. LA BOITEAUX, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY VARWIG, OF SAME PLACE.

DEVICE FOR DEMAGNETIZING WATCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 507,912, dated October 31, 1893.

Application filed January 21, I893. $erial No. 459,070. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. LA BOITEAUX, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Devices for Demagnetizing Watches, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a compact, reliable device to demagnetize watches or other articles and consists in the combination and arrangement of the parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in connection with which the invention will first be fully described and then particularly referred to and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are indicated by similar reference letters and figures wherever they occur throughout the various views, Figure 1 is a top or plan elevation of my improved device. Fig. 2 is a side and Fig. 3 an end elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal central sectional view, upon an enlarged scale and taken through line a: at of Fig. 1, of a part of the device. Fig. 5 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of a modified form of the sliding carriage and revolving holder.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4: inclusive, A is abase of wood, fiber or other non-conducting material. The face of the upper part of the block is longitudinally grooved at a and the groove is overlapped on one side by a metal guide bar B and upon the other side by a tooth bar or rack 13. These barsB and B. serve as guides for a sliding carriage C which is composed of an upper plate 0, lower plate 0 and intermediate or separating plate 0 and the vertical hollow column 0. The intermediate plate 0 should be a little thicker than the bars B and B between which it fits, the three plates being secured together so the lower and upper ones overlap the edges of the bars and serve to guide the carriage in its forward and backward movement. The column C serves as a bearing for the vertical spindle D, the upper end of which is enlarged to rest upon the top of the top edge of the column,and the lower end is formed with teeth to engagethe teeth of the rack bar B. Upon top of the spindle D is secured the watch holder, which consists of an upwardly bent plate at, the other ends of which are bent around and upon ring D. Over the ring 1s spread a flexible web at, which is preferably of chamois or buck skin, upon which the watch case rests, the stem of the watch projecting through the open portion of the ring. The? carriage is reciprocated back and forth to bring it within or retract it from the helix E by a button 0 the shank of which is secured in the carriage.

The spool is formed preferably of a copper cylinder e, having outwardly turned flanges on each end, and annular rings 6, which form the ends of the spool. These are preferably formed of fiber or other non conducting material. The spool is wound with insulated wire of suitable resistance for the current desired. The ends of the wire pass out through the fiber rings, one wire being connected to the binding postf and the other connected to the switch arm f. One of the electrical wires, 1, connects to the binding postf; the opposite wire, 2, connects to the binding post f and from said binding post to the contact post f The electric wires are protected by shell or fiber band 6 which fits in between the flanges or rings 6. The electric wires connecting the terminals of the helix, lead from a source of electricity which will produce an alternating current through the helix and produce a corresponding change of polarity in any object placed under the holder E and brought within the helix, the effect of the reversals of polarity being to neutralize or destroy the magnetism of said introduced objects. The object placed upon the carriage, being made to revolve rapidly while being withdrawn from the helix will, of course, rapidly change its polarity and greatly facilitate the removal of magnetism from the watch or whatever object is placed upon the carriage. In the view shown in Fig. 1 the switch arm is turned off of the contact f and the circuit broken. To close the circuit it is only neces sary to turn the switch f on to the contact post f In the modifications shown in Fig. 5 provision is made for revolving the holder D in both a horizontal and vertical plane by moving the carriage back and forth. To accomplish this result, a beveled pinion F is secured over the upper end of the vertical column C, and upon the spind'e D is secured a bar D which receives the spindle D. Upon the end of this spindle is secured a beveled gear Wheel E which meshes with the gear F secured upon the column 0. Now, it willbe seen that as the carriage is introduced within or Withdrawn from the helix, the holder will revolve around the vertical bearing O and also around its own axis D. The additional features needed in this modification are the spindle D with the bearing upon it, and the two beveled gears F and F and to change the device from that shown in Figs. 1 to a inclusive, it is only necessary to lift out the holder D with its spindle, place the spindle D with its bearing D in the same place, and secure the pinions one upon the vertical spindle, and the other upon the spindle D. In Fig. 4: I have shown the holderD provided with a double buck skin or canvas so as to form a pocket, the upper portion being adapted to open to admit a watch within it, which is necessary when the watch is placed in the holder in the position it is in in Fi 5. It is not necessary in the other case, as the Watch may be laid flat upon the holder. By the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, the watch or other object on the holder, changes its position rapidly as it is withdrawn from the helix and thus more effectually removes the magnetism.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ism 1. In a demagnetizer the combination of the base, the helix mounted thereon having its terminals connected with a source of electricity producing an alternating current, the

carriage mounted to slide upon the base within said helix, the revolving carrier mounted on said carriage, and means such as shown to revolve the carrier while it is introduced within or withdrawn from the helix, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, substantially as herein before set forth, of the base, the helix mounted thereon and having its terminals connected with an alternating current of electricity, the guides 13 and 13' secured upon said base, one of said guides having its edge forming a rack, the carriage carried by said guides, the vertical bearing 0', the spindle fitted to said bearing and having its lower edge toothed to engage the rack teeth upon one of the guides and the other secured on top of the spindle, whereby said holder is revolved by reciprocating the carriage.

The combination of the base, the helix mounted at one end thereof, the guide bars 13 and ]3 ar *anged parallel with each other, said bar B having rack teeth upon its inner edge, the carriage fitted to slide upon said base and having a vertical hearing, as C, a vertical spindle carried by said bearing and carrying at its upper end the bearing D, the spindle fitted to said bearing and the pinions F and F meshing together, the one secured to the vertical standard and the other upon the horizontal spindle, and the holder D carried by the horizontal spindle whereby the holder is given a rotary motion in both a horizontal and vertical plane as the carriage is reciprocated to bring it within or withdraw it from the helix, substantially as shown and described.

FRANK M. LA BOITEAUX.

Witnesses:

GEO. J. MURRAY, DAVID S. OLIVER. 

